We wanted the tour to be extra special so we called in to the weather people and ordered up a light rain for the day. Our intent was a positive one — hear us out: The hiking couple visiting were from the UK and here on a holiday/business. We wanted to make it feel like home. Come to find out, however, this couple’s from Essex and that’s in a part of the UK that doesn’t see as much rain as is stereotypically present in our minds. Whoops. In any case, as it turned out, the weather people, unpredictable as they may be, were late to the party anyway so most of the hike wasn’t very rainy.
Despite all this, the couple seemed to enjoy their half day hike with us, chatting it up amicably with Redline Guide Mike Cherim during the drive to the trailhead and throughout the hike. The couple’s aim on this day wasn’t to address cardio fitness, and it wasn’t meant to be a big leg day, it was just meant to be relaxing and fun. Mike led them the 1.5 miles to Sawyer Pond. There they sat at the shelter and just took it all in. A single loon showed itself but unfortunately never entertained our guests with its haunting cry (YouTube).
The couple had the place to themselves for quite a while except during one moment when an older couple, decked out for some serious backcountry fishing, dropped down from the wild and woolly landscape that surrounds the nearby Little Sawyer Pond. It didn’t seem like the fishing couple had that much luck up there finding it tough to fish and had retuned to the main water body, but they were jovially in good spirits happy to (probably) be retired and out in nature enjoying themselves immensely. After all, as the saying goes:
A bad day fishing always beats a good day at the office. —Somebody who knows
Here are a few photos of the day.
